Friday, October 30, 2015

Literature Circles for Middle School

Our Middle School follows a format for universal ELA curriculum where students read a whole group genre text and then spend four weeks with differentiated literature circles focusing on the same foundational skills.Our fifth grade students just finished reading Dexter the Tough by Margaret Peterson Haddix (3 week mini beginning of the year book) and a 5 week unit around How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O-Connor. Key concepts covered were evidence-based terms when discussing characters and characteristics, conflict and conflict types, and summarization through the Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then paragraph writing strategy. How to Steal a Dog was infused with nonfiction articles and video clips about local and community poverty. Students finished this book with a capstone project where they partnered with the local food pantry to showcase the need for donations. Teachers connected the dog in How to Steal a Dog with literature circles that have an animal as a main or key focus. The next four weeks, students will refine key literacy strategies of characteristics and evidence-based writing, conflict and conflict types and the SWBST at their individual reading levels.Small groups will decide next week if they will be reading one book for the next four weeks, two, three or even four books. It is up to each group. There are four roles: Discussion Director, Character Connector, Conflict Commander and Savvy Summarizer.If students read the same book for four weeks, they will complete all roles with that book. If students read more than one book, they will complete 2 roles per book with one being the Character Connector.Bottom line: We want to build reading stamina and vocabulary through voracious reading!We, (Our team), have purchased Play Away or CD versions so that our special needs students can fully participate in universal ELA curriculum.Literature Circle Book Selections:Lexile 520: The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamilloLexile 640: Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly GiffLexile 670: Poppy by AviLexile 700:Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson RawlsLexile 760: Jackpot by Gordon KormanLexile 790: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM by Robert C. O'BrienLexile 790: Warriors #1 Into the Wild by Erin HunterLexile 830: The Underneath by Kathi AppeltLexile 890: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Lexile 1140: Rascal by Sterling NorthI have uploaded our Literature Circle recording sheets and editable templates to Teachers Pay Teachers.

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